...it happened. Classes started, and the kids showed up again, and I launched a new year at a new high school, and my alarm clock got a workout for the first time in 2 1/2 months, and it was terrifying and brilliant and overwhelming and all the emotions at once.
As for first day jitters, it was a different kind of nervousness that marked the beginning of this school year. The first year or so I taught it was a general, "I don't know what I'm doing, and the kids are going to figure that out, and I'm going to make a fool of myself" kind of anxiety that brought on the back to school nightmares. Then I realized I was actually pretty good at what I do (and that I made a fool of myself everyday regardless of how hard I tried to be cool!) and back to school fears subsided into a general sense of anxiousness that was as much excited as anything. One thing I never felt quite as strongly as I did this year, however, was stress. There is a certain amount of stress that comes with uprooting your career and dropping it in a new location, learning new procedures, reacquainting yourself with standards and evaluation cycles and probationary teaching responsibilities, not recognizing a single student's face on day one, knowing that it will be at least a few weeks before you're comfortable with names, which is unfortunate because you need to hold musical auditions next week, and all the while realizing that you've dropped yourself into this new world with a stellar professional reputation (that's why you were hired after all,) and, as the superintendent mentioned in her in service address, you are expected to be exceptional...not just average.
So, when on day 1 I couldn't find a parking spot, and my first hour class caught the typo in my syllabus, and half of my freshman struggled to get set up and signed in with their tablets, and I walked in circles looking for the various places I had to turn in forms, drop off paperwork, etc. I wasn't exactly feeling like pushing 'reset' on my entire career was the best professional choice I had ever made. (Being able to go home and cry to J-Word about it confirms a great personal choice...but he doesn't come to work with me).
But life goes on...and the week goes on...we've made it to Friday and with my classes arranged nicely in user friendly seating charts to help me learn 100 names, and my freshman getting settled in to new high school routines, and my Media/Journalism class getting along nicely with discussions and my stories from my days on the editorial board at UW-La Crosse, things are looking up.
Beyond that, it's Friday, so work week aside, it's time to relax, refresh, and reset because Monday will be here soon enough!
So, let's look to this week's list.
1. The number 1 thing on the list also happens to be my number 1 reason for being excited about this upcoming weekend. Are you ready for some football? Ok, to be fair, my beloved Green Bay Packers tanked last night...and if J-Word's Vikings play well and win, I'll never hear the end of it...but I'm pumped up anyway! Football = great fun, and this year it also = lots of fantasy league play. I'm not saying I'm going to win; I'm just saying it's sure to be a good time.
2. Last night J-Word and I finalized the last of our wedding party which is both exciting and a relief because, whew, that 's a stressful process. I'd like to create a new reality TV show where a bride and groom go live in a villa with everyone they've ever met that is important to them and therefore in consideration for the wedding party. Said people would then compete in challenges proving their knowledge of and loyalty to the bride and groom, and each week someone would be sent home until the wedding party was set. From the producers of the Bachelor, Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, and Bachelor Pad, welcome to the new season of Bachelor All Wishing You Could Be in the Wedding! (That's terrible pun!) ;)
3. I hate roller coasters. In fact, amusement parks in general rarely amuse me. So when I saw this list published this week, I found I was already a little queasy without having boarded a single ride. However, if you're the kind of thrill seeker looking to overdose on thrill ride adrenaline, the latest list of physics defying amusements rides, might be right up your alley.
4. Back to football, this time with a fun infographic linking teams to the geographic region where they're most frequently liked and followed on social media outlets. No real surprises here...
5. And last but not least, thank you Buzzfeed for this play by play of what it is like when a 31 year old watches Harry Potter for the first time. I'm a big HP fan...but the captioned commentary included is just plain funny!
Weekend...and...GO! I'm in for 20 miles tomorrow as Chicago Marathon training continues. Last week was a bit of a bust (more on that later), so I'm looking for a good recovery run!
Don't forget football on Sunday and, oh yeah...
Happy Trails!
That reality show as method for choosing your wedding party is a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI already did my round on the reality show called "Sharing a Bedroom with you for 18 years"
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